Quarrier Wrestling: Leadership, eagerness bolster Dells squad

Nov. 19, 2012

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Banking on a strong track record and a team nearly doubled in size, the Dell Rapids Quarrier wrestling team is preparing for a season that will kick off at the outset of December.

The team, which includes students from Dells Public, as well as from Chester, St. Mary and Baltic, is up to 32 wrestlers this year, including five seniors.

Coach Craig Jorgensen is pleased with the uptick from the 2011-12 season, in which 18 wrestlers comprised the team. “It’s nice to see the room fill up,” he said.

And that returner-heavy roster is encouraging for the Quarrier coach, as there are many new, young team members joining the ever-expanding lineup.

“We’ve got a veteran group of wrestlers that have put in the time and are willing to help our younger wrestlers get through the season,” he said. “Our biggest expectation would be that everybody improve throughout the year.”

Those young wrestlers will use guidance to achieve two goals, according to Jorgensen: to reach a level of comfort on the mat and to improve every week. “We’ve got a lot of young wrestlers that haven’t seen the mat a lot,” he said.

With the Dells-hosted “Top of the Rock” tourney coming up Dec. 1, the first outing for the Quarrier wrestlers will be a home one. And with visiting teams such as Tri-Valley, Beresford and Adrian (Minn.), Jorgensen sees the meet as an opportunity for his team to face the best wrestlers in the area.

“There are some good teams coming,” he said. “They’re probably the top teams in the tournament.”

With seven state qualifiers and a third-place team finish in Region 1A back in February, the Dell Rapids coach hopes to return to a good spot in South Dakota competition.

“Right now we’re just trying to get into some good solid technique and try to get everybody in wrestling condition,” he said. “Hopefully we can get these guys a place (at state).”

Jorgensen cited repeat state trips from Jackson Entringer, Philip Schwebach and Tyler Gee, as well as showings from Jacob Huewe and Leon Maxwell, as solid chances for the team to see state play.